Tiago and Gene prove once again that they're not the most compatible pair out there in terms of world view of justice.

"Agree to Disagree"

PHONE-LAND

Tiago and Lena have more in common than even they know. For a couple hours after she found herself dialing numbers on her phone in the kitchen, Tiago finds himself doing the exact same in the living room. It's just a little past noon and the Brazilian frowns thoughtfully at the modified cellular device, staring at the number flashing upon the screen before letting out a deliberate sigh and pressing enter.

In contrast to his significant other, however, as the dial tone rings out, Tiago is hoping that Gene /doesn't/ end up picking up.

—-

After some time, Tiago fears are soon given audio form as Gene does indeed pick up. "Hey Lena… I didn't expect you to call so soon. Something up?"

—-

And there it is, Gene's voice, giving him - hey, wait a minute. "This aint Lena," Tiago grumps, suspicion coloring his expression as well as his tone. "Why would it be Lena? Did she call you? She fuckin' did, didn't she?" With his irritation expressed, he forgets his original purpose altogether.

—-

"Yeah, she was asking after Sydney… Why? Would she be calling for something else?" Gene asks, a tone hinted with confusion. The young man knows that Lena was hiding something… Maybe this mystery is putting Tiago on the defensive.

—-

"…Oh." You can practically see the dopey expression on Tiago's face - a result of a man who's just realized that he /might/ have messed up. Just a little bit. "Nah…it's nothin'. What's goin' on with Sydney though?" He inquires, taking advantage of the convenient switch in topic. "What's goin' on with everyone? I aint seen none of ya'll in fuckin' forever. Gets a guy worried. So, what? We jus' bein' phased out or somethin' now that you got Blondie ta listen ta?"

—-

While Gene can imagine why Tiago was concerned about Lena talking to Gene, he doesn't comment on it. He's got other matters to speak on anyway. "Blonde? Who we talking about here? I have a few blond people I keep in contact with… As for not seeing you, I've just been working and preparing for the holidays. I take it you've been busy as well?"

"Sydney is in the hospital. I already talked to Lena about that… Eric is handling other stuff. Last I checked, he was working on finishing the new place and ensuring that I can work there in peace." There is a pronounced silence at Tiago before there is a concern in Tiago's words. "…'you heard'?"

—-

Tiago frowns darkly at this development. "What hospital? When was this? One outa the city or somethin'? 'Cause we called all the ones 'round here a couple o' days back, an' they aint said nothin' 'bout admittin' no Sydney…" Confusion is written on his face, followed by an uncomfortably pregnant silence. "…Yeah. I heard. There was a squad o' dead government agents found in the city, some of my homeboys told me. I'm thinkin' it might have been somethin' ta do with the whole Evolved shit."

—-

While Gene was willing to let the matter go when Lena said 'talk to Dex', the fact that it involved mutliple dead government agents tends to make the issue a little more pressing. "And if I ask Lena, Dex, and Jade, they are going to tell me that it had nothing to do with the people we work with," he states in a slightly more firm tone. "This is serious stuff. If it gets linked back to us, there is no telling how it will affect us. My crimes didn't involve killing… Just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This is a whole new ballgame here."

—-

Tiago finds it impossible to find out exactly what Gene is trying to say here, and it is with surprise that he offers this gem. "If you ask…wait - /what/? What're you sayin', man? I'm fuckin' confused." What follows is a bit of shuffling as the man sits up on his couch. "I wasn' sayin' it had somethin' ta do with ya or us or nothin'. I was jus' sayin' that I heard about that shit, an' wanted ta know if you know what was goin' down. What ballgame?"

—-

"I'm saying that I am asking everyone about this and I'm not stopping until I find out who is involved," Gene replies, seemingly baffled by how Tiago seems to be handling the matter. "If it is someone we know, I have to figure out what happened. If it is someone else that is possibly actively going after government agents, they'll have to be stopped. The more people that get hurt on either side, the more likely that more desperate measures will be taken. If it involves the government, until this Alpha Protocol stops, stuff like this involves me."

—-

"Oh…" Tiago repeats, his brows furrowed and deep wrinkles finding their place on his forehead. "Well…what d'you plan on doin' about it, y'think? I mean, I didn' see the bodies or nothin', an' I was kind of assumin' an' jumpin' the gun that it had somethin' ta do with Alpha Protocol, but…yeah. I figure's best ta assume the worst, yeah?" He's not exactly a liar, but rather an omitter of truth.

—-

"I told you what I was planning to do about it… I was going to spend Christmas with my grandfather, but…" Gene pauses as he thinks the matter over. "I have to come back. Even if it isn't an Alpha Protocol thing, I have to make sure. After all, the government will likely be assuming it. Counterterrorism usually wouldn't be something people hear about. So, who is the person that told you about this? I'll start there."

—-

"Jus' a buddy o' mine from the streets, y'wouldn't know him." Tiago explains evasively, shaking his head slightly. "An' you should still visit your granpa. Seriously. It was probably jus' that - counterwhatever shit. It happens all the time in the underground, like y'don't even know. The feds like keepin' it all shushed up though, so people don' freak out or nothin', but y'hear about it out in like, the bad parts o' the streets if you've got the right kinda connections. Hey. Listen, Mr. Hero. Y'gotta take the holidays off a bit, man. Don' worry, everythin's still goin' ta be alright by the time y'get back."

—-

The young genius sighs, the serene nature of the forest about him easing his soul, but not his mind. Lena wanted him to ask Dex about recent things. Lena and Tiago are usually fearful of the police after them… Gene wishes that it is merely Tiago trying to encourage holiday joy, but Gene is sadly getting people savvy enough to not always assume the best of people, even those he works with.

"Right. I'll talk to Dex then and I'll talk to your friend after that. Need the name, I'll try and get in touch with him in the next couple of days. Don't worry if you don't think he'll talk, I'm sure I can find away. If that doesn't work, Dex might have something. Considering her nature, she is the one most likely to take the direct route AND the government know that she's an escapee."

—-

There comes a moment in every man's life when he realizes that he is backed against the wall, when he realizes that one way or another, he has strayed from the path presented to him. And as Tiago leans forward onto his forearms, one hand pressed against his forehead, he recognizes this impasse. Heavy, pregnant silence follows as he is left considering his dismal options, and cursing his own ineptness.

"Y'don'…y'don' need ta talk ta no one." He gruffs out finally, voice thick with something unreadable. "No - that aint true. You'll need ta talk ta Dex, 'cause she did it. She…an' me too." Cue another pause, followed by the frantic correction of his own story. "Hold on - but I aint like, no murderer or nothin'…I aint I - I, we /had/ ta, Gene. They had us fuckin' cornered. She dragged me into this alley wi' her, an were after her an'…an' there was no other way, I /swear/ I'm not a fuckin' murderer I swear!"

—-

The young geek god rubs his face. "I'm giving you damn tasers" is Gene first verbal response, giving a rare curse as he tries to figure out the next step. While plans are his thing, the odds are not looking good. "I'll have a talk with Dex alright. She is getting to be more of a trouble to us than an assist. If she doesn't play by the book, I'll have to figure out something. I know you aren't a murderer, but what you need to do is change your location. At the worst, it will at least ensure that one else gets dragged into it. At best, it will keep the feds from finding you… After some time, the heat may die down. If Dex tries to talk to you, tell her she needs to talk to me first. If you get captured, odds are you'll be treated like a federal prisoner. It's what happened to me while they thought I was human, would likely do the same for you. Of course, considering I escaped means they might treat you differently. Best to avoid the situation altogether."

—-

Tiago's discomfort is apparent even in his silence, as he proceeds to make his way to his feet and pace around. Once he does speak, his words are quick and distressed. "Don'…it wasn't her fault, man. She woulda been taken, an' God knows what they'd do ta her. It wasn't her fault none that they were tailin' her the entire time." He finds it necessary to defend the psychopath. "An'…what d'you mean change my location? We did, we're moved inta the townhouse now. Bit premature, chyeah, but it's workin' an'…you don' mean take me away from everyone, righ'? I aint leavin' Lena. You can't make me."

Realizing that he's behaving just a /little/ hysterical, he takes in a deep breath, his shuddering breath heard over the telephone. "I wanna avoid the situation too. Bu'…I mean, everyone who saw me died. So, I can't be in that much trouble, yeah? They don't got nothin', they…so, am I s'posed ta jus' ignore Dex?"

—-

Those people could have had families, loved ones. They would have taken her, yes, but people can be rescued. Unless you know a friend that I don't, you can't bring people back from the dead. I understand the situation and am not angry at you, but doesn't mean I think the situation was handled in the best way," Gene states as he talks through the forest. He doesn't know exactly what he can do now, but at the least, he needs to get to a computer. He is trailed by his martial art trainer, who seems irrate with Gene's decision to leave, but does not question it for the time being.

"No, you are supposed to direct her to me and THEN ignore her. Tell Lena to do the same. Even if the government doesn't know it's you, this CAN'T happen again."

—-

"She /did/ push an' throw 'em around, Gene. They had guns - they were goin' ta kill us if necessary. They were /shootin'/ at us!" As Tiago struggles to justify th devastation of the incident, it's plain as day that he's troubled by it. But, his words do hit somewhere, somewhere deep. "Gene…it aint like any of us /wanted/ this shit ta happen. She didn't, I definitely didn't an'…an' we can try all we can ta keep it from happenin', but it's not goin' ta stop. This is - it's a fuckin' war, man. And there are goin' ta be casualties. Y'can't get outa it without people dyin', you can't, so…so it's better that it's people on their side o' the fence."

—-

Tiago's attempt to justify is given a firm response. "No, it ISN'T war. Trust me, Tiago, you want war, crap like that is exactly what is going to bring it. They have tons of Evolved that are captured. The moment they decide that keeping them is too much of a risk, they are going to start killing them. No one wants this stuff to happen. This is conflict of growing fear… You let your fear overtake who you are and you let this thing landslide. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering," Gene points out. Yoda is useful for times like these.

—-

"So what should she've done? Jus' gotten kidnapped? 'Cause there was no way out, an' they were firin' bullets, an' I don't care /what/ you can do, when you got five dudes firin' at you, it's fight or flee. An' there was no flee." Tiago is adament about this, with his jaw set in a rather tight, stubborn fashion. What follows, however, is a faint sigh. "…This shit needs ta end soon. 'Cause the longer it goes, the more likely it is goin' ta mean war. All over the country, neighbors turnin' on one another…"

—-

"Exactly. It hasn't gotten to that point yet, but unless someone can keep it managable from the government side, there isn't much we can do. Moving to Canada is looking up though. Maybe spend some time in Mexico. As for Dex and 'what coulad-shoulda'? Let's drop that because it's clear it's gunna be an 'agree to disagree' sorta thing," Gene states with a frustrated tone of his own. Taking a couple of breaths to cool himself, he asks, "So, what was the reason you called for me? I doubt it was so I could pry the info about the government outta ya."

—-

Tiago falls silent, and for once the rustling about the dies out, signifying that the man is no longer pacing about. "…Ta know where everyone was. I think. An'…an' ta see if I was goin' ta need ta run away or not, but I aint as slick as James Bond or whatever when it comes ta gettin' information…y'kinda wheedled it outa me an' all…" Ahem. "Listen. I'm…I'm sorry. But I was serious, man. Y'shouldn't let this ruin your holidays, that ain't fair ta you. You should go see your grandpa, 'cause there aint nothin' ta really do 'bout this. 'Cept for talk ta Dex maybe, but after that…nothin'."

—-

"My grandfather will understand… I don't pretend like I know how much time I'll have with him, but he will want me to do the right thing," admits the super genius, smiling faintly as he thinks of his father figure. "Besides, being away will let him focus on the social functions he has to do every year, keep the government from having excuses to meddle in his life more than they already have. Either way, I'll talk to you once I'm back in New York, should be late tonight."

—-

Tiago licks his lips gingerly. "Don't. Go, at least tanight. Spend it with him. It's the holidays, man, d'you…I'd give anythin', anythin' ta be able ta spend it with my family now. Take advantage of what time you got, 'cause it'll be over before you know it. So…so…" He lets out a sigh. "So spend some time with the man. Tomorrow y'can go back ta kickin' ass an savin' lives, okay? But, I'll catch ya once you get back. Thanks for everythin', man."

—-

"No prob, I'm here to help." Gene doesn't comment on his grandfather. After all, if he lets it slide, it means he won't have to say how he's leaving tonight in yet another 'Agree to Disagree' moments. "Talk to you later, Tiago."